When I made plans to accompany a group of professional carolers, I had great expectations.

Strolling through the cobblestone streets of a Victorian neighborhood on a snowy winter's night, holding candles, speaking with English accents, the whole nine.

Sweating bullets in the middle of a mall food court dressed like Little Bo Peep wasn't quite what I had hoped for.

I went to Circle Centre mall one unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon to meet folks from At Your Door Productions, an entertainment company that hires out "Dickens Carolers" dressed in authentic 19th-century garb.

The women, Shea Dell and Allison Gallo, were dressed in beautiful gem-colored dresses and capes, while the men, Darrin Gowan and John Phillips, donned three-piece suits and top hats.

They were kind enough to arrange a costume for me in advance, but I couldn't help but feel out of place among the professionals in my baby pink and purple plaid get-up.

But clothing was the least of my worries.

As Gallo pulled out her pitch pipe and the group discussed what would be the first song, I mulled whether to join in or sit it out to see how things were done.

My palms began to sweat and I regretted the jeans, two layers of shirts and the petticoat I had on under my dress.

Fortunately, the decision was made for me as the carolers began with "Fum, Fum, Fum," a song with which I was completely unfamiliar. But then another moment of panic set in.

It hadn't occurred to me what I would do if I didn't sing along. Lip synch? Stand back and watch? Perhaps I would bop along merrily, smiling and waving to passing children.

I settled on a combination of all three.

As the carolers sang and I did whatever it was I was doing, a crowd of people began to gather around, taking photos and pointing their children to look in our direction.

After a few photo ops, the carolers asked the gathered children if they'd like to help us by jingling bells along to "Jingle Bells."

I was thrilled. Not only would I have someone to focus on besides the people passing by staring, we'd sing a song I knew the words to -- or at least thought I knew the words to.

Did you know there are four verses to that song? Four. That's three more than I knew, so back to the humming, lip synching, smiling and bobbing I went.

It's not as though I had an under- appreciation for performing carolers before, but after sweating, walking and singing through a busy mall during the holiday shopping season, I have far more respect for them now.

Maybe they weren't trudging through the freshly driven snow or reading their songbooks by candlelight, but I assure you, these carolers know how to put on a show -- with or without the English accents.

Call Leslie Bailey at (317) 444-6094 and follow her on Twitter at @Lesalina.